Evidence
10 evidence entries recorded; each entry has a stable permalink (#ev-1 … #ev-10).
-
[1]research packet 403-packet.md (2 sources cited) [other_primary]
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Identity packet verdict: VERIFIED (mirror-sourced; no primary-source page located)
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Limitations
- qualifier: VERIFIED (mirror-sourced; no primary-source page located)
- Evidence ID
- uss-lci-l-237-lcil237-pkt-403-packet-md
-
[2]NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive, USS LCI(R)-237 ex USS LCI(L)-237 (1943-1944) - milestone timeline, campaign record, specifications; history credited to 'USS LCI Landing Craft Infantry, Vol. II' (Turner Publishing, 1995) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/15/150237.htm header block, campaign table, specifications block, and photo captions
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- NavSource timeline for this hull: laid down 10 January 1943; launched 30 January 1943; commissioned USS LCI(L)-237, 5 February 1943; reclassified Landing Craft Infantry (Rockets) LCI(R)-237, 15 June 1944; reverted to LCI(L)-237, 17 September 1945; decommissioned, date unknown; struck from the Naval Register in 1946; custody transferred to the Maritime Commission 18 February 1947 for disposal; final fate unknown. Campaigns documented: Sicilian occupation 9-15 July 1943; Salerno landings 9-21 September 1943; West Coast of Italy operations 1944 incl. Elba and Pianosa landings 17 June 1944; Invasion of Southern France 15-26 August 1944 (EAME Campaign, 4 battle stars); Visayan Island landings, Southern Philippines, 26 March - 4 April 1945 (Asiatic-Pacific Campaign, 1 battle star) - five battle stars total. First assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater, LCI Flotilla One; later to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater. Photographic record includes NARA-held US Navy photos (80-G-38805, moored at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek VA 23 March 1943 during the Prince Olav of Norway visit; 80-G-87509, landing supplies at Scoglitti, Sicily, 10 July 1943) and a Catania, Sicily photo after the mining.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1943-1947
- Population
- Lawley construction trades (Jan-Feb 1943); crew (1943-46); embarked troops (up to ~188 per landing)
- Limitations
- NavSource is a volunteer secondary compilation, not a primary registry - milestone dates are carried from its page and generally track official records, but this page's builder attribution (New Jersey Shipbuilding Corp., Barber NJ) conflicts with the Lawley yard table, uboat.net, and NavSource's own adjacent-hull pages (see ev-06). One photo caption dates the mining '27 February 1944' - contradicted by the contemporaneous official report (27 October 1943, see ev-07). Contains no asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-237-lcil237-01
-
[3]NARA, Special List #44 by Ship Numbers, 'List of Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships, Stations, and Miscellaneous Units, 1801-1947' - deck-log inventory entry for LCI(L)-237 [other_primary]
- Locator
- sl-44-ship-number.pdf, PDF page 22 ('Special List #44, by Ship Numbers'), row 'LCI(L)-237 2/5/1943 6/30/1945'; digitized-log status checked against https://www.archives.gov/research/military/logbooks/navy-online
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- NARA Special List 44 inventories U.S. Navy deck logs for LCI(L)-237 covering 2/5/1943 to 6/30/1945 - log-coverage dates that corroborate the documented commissioning date (5 February 1943) and in-scope wartime service through mid-1945. The logs are held at NARA (RG 24) but are NOT among the deck logs digitized in the National Archives Catalog - no LCI(L)-series logs appear in the digitized deck-log list.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- archival_lead
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1943-02-05 to 1945-06-30
- Population
- Crew (1943-45 coverage span)
- Limitations
- This is a log-coverage inventory, not a commissioning/decommissioning record - it does not assert milestone dates, only that logs exist for the stated span. The logs themselves are undigitized; their contents (positions, availabilities, materials references) are unexamined. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-237-lcil237-02
-
[4]USS LCI(L)-216, Serial L-121, 29 October 1943: 'Report of Mining of LCI(L)-237 While in Convoy Enroute Taranto, Italy to Catania, Sicily' - declassified official dispatch/report with enclosures (statement of LCI(L)-216 executive officer Lt.(jg) Ralph W. Wright USNR; report of USS SC 1044; report of Capt. James Borthwick, Black Watch, FR2 o/c troops aboard LCI(L)-237). Naval History Division stamped copy hosted on NavSource. [other_primary]
- Locator
- 150237a.pdf, 10-page scan: report Serial L-121 pp. 1-3 (narrative, casualties, towing); Enclosure A pp. 4-5 (XO boarding/damage statement)
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- Contemporaneous official report documenting this hull: on 27 October 1943 about 1830A, in position 38 deg 54 min N, 17 deg 19 min E, LCI(L)-237 struck a drifting mine while in convoy (SC 1044, LCI(L)s 15, 216, 192, 237) enroute Taranto to Catania carrying British troops including No. 3 Commando (Major Peter Young commanding). Per the report: the entire bow and No. 1 troop space were demolished; one LCI(L)-237 crewman missing and 21 British troops dead or missing; Ensign W.B. Hilburn USNR (executive officer) was senior surviving officer aboard. LCI(L)-237 was towed stern-first into Catania by LCI(L)-15 and LCI(L)-192, arriving about 1600A 28 October 1943. The vessel remained in service and later participated in the Elba/Pianosa landings (June 1944), Southern France (August 1944), and the Visayan landings (March-April 1945).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1943-10-27 to 1943-10-29 (report date)
- Population
- LCI(L)-237 crew; ~90 embarked British personnel incl. No. 3 Commando; rescue crews of LCI(L)-15, LCI(L)-192, LCI(L)-216, SC 1044
- Limitations
- Ship-specific primary document for the casualty event only. It documents structural damage (bow and No. 1 troop space demolished) and the towing into Catania, but NOT the subsequent repair work, yard, or materials - any repair-era material disturbance is an open archival lead, not established. The scanned PDF is a Naval History Division copy hosted on NavSource (not a NARA direct link). No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-237-lcil237-03
-
[5]shipbuildinghistory.com (Tim Colton compilation), George S. Lawley & Sons, Neponset MA yard table - LCI(L) delivery rows [other_primary]
- Locator
- lawley.htm yard table, LCI(L) 237 row; https://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/21154.html
- Finding type
- vessel_history
- Finding
- The Lawley & Sons (Neponset MA) yard delivery table lists LCI(L) 237 for the US Navy, Landing Craft type, delivered 5-Feb-43 - matching this hull's documented commissioning date - with disposition note 'Later LCI(R)237, sold 1947?', consistent with the documented LCI(R) reclassification and 1947 Maritime Commission transfer. The table places LCI(L) 230-238+ in the Lawley block; uboat.net independently lists this hull 'Built by George Lawley & Sons (Neponset, Massachusetts)', ordered 31 August 1942, laid down 10 January 1943, launched 30 January 1943, commissioned 5 February 1943.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1943
- Population
- Lawley construction trades, Neponset MA (Jan-Feb 1943)
- Limitations
- Yard-list secondary compilation (built from yard delivery records), not a contract record; corroborated by uboat.net and by NavSource's own sister-hull pages (LCI(L)-233, -235, -236 = Lawley, Neponset). Conflicts with the NavSource vessel page for this hull - see ev-06. No asbestos content.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-237-lcil237-04
-
[6]Era inference built on: NavSource specifications block for this hull (two sets of four GM 71-series diesels, GM reduction gears, two 30 kW diesel-drive DC ship-service generators, twin variable-pitch propellers, 2,320 shp) and the LCI-1-class diesel-powered design (no steam plant) [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/15/150237.htm specifications block (propulsion, generators)
- Finding type
- asbestos_application
- Finding
- A diesel-powered LCI-1-class landing craft built in early 1943 sits inside the Navy's documented asbestos-use era; era-standard applications aboard a small diesel amphibious craft of this type and period were exhaust lagging on the diesel exhaust runs, machinery and engine-room insulation, gaskets, valve packing, and electrical insulation in the confined hull volume. As a diesel craft she carried no boilers or steam turbines - the boiler/steam-line lagging pathway of steam vessels does not apply.
- Verification
- inferred
- Role
- supporting
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1943-1947
- Population
- Lawley construction trades (1943); crew (1943-46); any repair-yard trades during post-mining repair and LCI(R) conversion (locations undocumented)
- Limitations
- Class/era inference only - no hull-specific insulation survey, material list, work package, or repair record located for LCI(L)-237. Names era-standard applications, not confirmed installed materials. No quantity. Product names are normalized era terms; no manufacturer attribution for this hull.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-237-lcil237-05
-
[7]Builder cross-check: shipbuildinghistory.com Lawley & Sons yard table (LCI(L) 237 delivered 5-Feb-43, 'Later LCI(R)237'); uboat.net LCI(L)-237 page ('Built by George Lawley & Sons, Neponset'); New Jersey Shipbuilding yard table on the Naval Marine Archive mirror (its LCI(L) run starts at 238); NavSource adjacent-hull pages (LCI(L)-233, -235, -236 = George Lawley & Sons, Neponset MA; LCI(L)-238, -240 = New Jersey Shipbuilding, Barber NJ) [other_primary]
- Locator
- shipbuildinghistory.com/shipyards/yachtsmall/lawley.htm (LCI(L) 237 row); uboat.net ship/21154; navalmarinearchive.com/sbh/shipyards/emergencysmall/newjersey.html (NJ Shipbuilding table begins at LCI(L) 238); navsource.net/archives/10/15/150233.htm, 150235.htm, 150236.htm, 150238.htm, 150240.htm
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- CORRECTION: the NavSource vessel page for this hull states 'Laid Down, 10 January 1943, at New Jersey Shipbuilding Corp., Barber, N.J.' - that attribution conflicts with (a) the George Lawley & Sons yard delivery table, which lists LCI(L) 237 delivered 5-Feb-43 with the note 'Later LCI(R)237'; (b) uboat.net, which lists 'Built by George Lawley & Sons (Neponset)'; (c) the New Jersey Shipbuilding yard table, whose LCI(L) run begins at 238 and contains no 237; and (d) NavSource's own adjacent-hull pages, which place LCI(L)-233, -235, and -236 at Lawley and LCI(L)-238+ at New Jersey Shipbuilding. The record carries George Lawley & Sons, Neponset MA as builder; the NavSource page's 'New Jersey Shipbuilding' line is treated as a transcription slip.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1943
- Limitations
- Corrects a builder attribution, not a material/asbestos claim. All sources are secondary compilations; the resolution rests on the yard delivery table matching this hull's commissioning date and LCI(R) conversion. If a Navy contract record later surfaces assigning 237 to New Jersey Shipbuilding, this would need revision.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-237-lcil237-06
-
[8]Mining-date cross-check: official report Serial L-121 (29 Oct 1943, event 27 October 1943) vs NavSource photo caption ('after hitting a mine on 27 February 1944 in the Gulf of Taranto on a British Commando mission') [other_primary]
- Locator
- NavSource 10/15/150237.htm photo caption (Catania photo) vs 150237a.pdf Serial L-121 para. 1
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- CORRECTION: a NavSource photo caption dates this hull's mining '27 February 1944'; the contemporaneous official report (USS LCI(L)-216, Serial L-121) dates it 27 October 1943, in convoy Taranto-to-Catania carrying British troops including No. 3 Commando - the same event the caption describes. The record carries 27 October 1943 (primary document); the '27 February 1944' caption is treated as a captioning error.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- correction
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1943-1944 (caption window)
- Limitations
- Corrects a photo-caption date against a primary document. The possibility of a second, undocumented mining incident cannot be fully excluded, but the report and caption describe the same event details (Gulf of Taranto area, British Commando mission), so a single event dated 27 October 1943 is carried.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-237-lcil237-07
-
[9]GAO, Navy Efforts To Protect Workers From Asbestos Exposure, HRD-80-2 (Oct 18, 1979) [gao]
- Locator
- GAO product page HRD-80-2 (full text blocked, HTTP 403)
- Finding type
- gov_survey
- Finding
- GAO documented that the Navy used asbestos insulation extensively aboard ships and did not begin substituting alternative insulation materials until the early 1970s - spanning this hull's entire construction (1943) and service era (1943-46).
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- context
- Documentation level
- class_or_era
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 1979
- Population
- Navy shipyard workers; asbestos program review
- Limitations
- Program-level documentation; supports era context only, not any fact specific to this hull. Full text not retrieved (gao.gov blocks automated fetch, HTTP 403) - content via product-page description.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-237-lcil237-08
-
[10]Batch-5028 search ledger (this record): NavSource vessel page + hosted official mining report; NARA Special List 44 ship-number PDF and digitized-log list; shipbuildinghistory Lawley yard table and Naval Marine Archive NJ Shipbuilding mirror; uboat.net; CourtListener API v4 (opinion + docket, all hull spellings); secondary web litigation sweep; usslci.org association site [other_primary]
- Locator
- search_ledger rows sl-uss-lci-l-237-lcil237-01 through -11
- Finding type
- historical_record
- Finding
- No qualifying ship-specific asbestos record located: no asbestos survey, abatement contract, hazmat disclosure, or litigation naming USS LCI(L)-237 / LCI(R)-237 was found in the public sources searched. CourtListener opinion search on 'LCI-237', 'LCI(L)-237', 'LCI(R)-237' returned zero hits; an unquoted 'LCI(L)-237' search returned 623 results that are all name collisions (LCI International Telecommunications, LCI Workers Comp, and similar unrelated 'LCI' entities) - none naming the vessel. Docket search on the hull spellings returned zero hits. A spacing-variant opinion query ('LCI(L) 237', 'LCIL-237', 'LCIL 237') could not be completed - fleet pacing budget spent; logged as blocked, not a negative result. Secondary web sweeps surfaced no ship-specific asbestos content at all - not even law-firm listicle coverage of this hull.
- Verification
- verified
- Role
- negative_finding
- Documentation level
- ship_specific
- Accessed
- 2026-09-29
- Study period
- 2026-09-29
- Limitations
- Absence of a located public record does not prove absence of asbestos aboard - the vessel's era, builder, and confined diesel machinery spaces are consistent with era-standard asbestos applications. Undigitized RG 24 deck logs (coverage 1943-02-05 to 1945-06-30), post-mining repair records, and the LCI(R) conversion work package are unexamined archival leads. Does not establish or defeat any claim of exposure or legal eligibility.
- Atlas source
- true
- Evidence ID
- ev-uss-lci-l-237-lcil237-09